Coronavirus: Finance minister isolating over Covid contact

Northern Ireland's Finance Minister Conor Murphy is to self-isolate after a family member tested positive for coronavirus, the BBC understands.

Mr Murphy will continue to carry out his ministerial duties remotely.

The finance minister is the fourth member of the executive to have to isolate in recent weeks.

Health Minister Robin Swann is also self-isolating after receiving a close-proximity notification from NI's track and trace app.

He received the notification from the StopCOVID NI app, run by the HSC Public Health Agency.

On Wednesday, Mr Swann's UUP colleague John Stewart MLA announced he had tested positive for coronavirus.

Several other Stormont assembly members (MLAs) posted on social media that they had also received app notifications to isolate.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Swann urged others to download the app.

Mr Swann said he has no symptoms and will only require a test if he develops one of the symptoms of the virus. He will be working from self-isolation for the next 14 days.

An exposure notification from the app means the user has been close to another person who has tested positive.

Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has also been self-isolating after a family member tested positive - although she herself has tested negative.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has also been self-isolating after a family member tested positive, although she has also tested negative.

On Wednesday evening, a party spokesperson confirmed fellow UUP MLA Andy Allen had received an exposure notification from the app and would have to isolate for 14 days.

The DUP's Pam Cameron also confirmed she was self-isolating after receiving a notification, tweeting a screengrab of the app.

The South Antrim MLA is the deputy chairperson of the Stormont health committee.

Responding to Ms Cameron, independent MLA Trevor Lunn said he was also self-isolating, and was on his fourth day of doing so.